Bonhams’ Bond Street Sale – litmus test for future values?

Bonhams’ 30th November Bond Street sale has some mouth-watering cars on offer, but it’s what they could tell us about the classic car market in 2015 that really makes it interesting… Bonhams have the art of the high quality, low volume auction nailed – we like to call them “capsule auctions” as in many ways […]

Bonhams’ 30th November Bond Street sale has some mouth-watering cars on offer, but it’s what they could tell us about the classic car market in 2015 that really makes it interesting…

Bonhams have the art of the high quality, low volume auction nailed – we like to call them “capsule auctions” as in many ways they represent the market as a whole – and the Bond Street sale could almost be a collection on its own. With a selection of cars that don’t come to the market that often being offered at a time of year when classic car sales are traditionally slow, conditions are ideal for cars to achieve realistic market vale rather than some of the prices bid during the super-charged excitement of the summer season.

The cars

With 29 automotive lots (two are motorbikes) worth an estimated £12 million, that makes the average value around £400,000. And boy, there are some interesting cars to choose from. Race cars, 80’s supercars, conversions, re-creations, classic Italians – all the food groups are represented. Additionally there is a wide variance in originality and history. 35% of the lots are left hand drive and a number are recent visitors to these shores. Italian cars are flooding into the UK at the moment due to the economic climate and there can be question marks over title and history – we would advise detailed research before purchasing. It is also noticeable that some of the lots have, in some cases, only been owned for a matter of months before being put up for auction. What isn’t included in a car description can tell as much as what is.

Will buyers insist on originality? Will Ferrari continue its price charge? It’s been a while – what will a 288 GTO make at auction? All we can tell you now is that the post-sale analysis should be fascinating – we’ll have a breakdown of the results and full analysis for you on Monday.